Ephemeros

Chapter 2: Of Wild Boars and Tavern Maids

The evening meal was a family affair this night and a lively one. At Elrond’s suggestion they had set up a table on a wide stone balcony overlooking one of the smaller falls. They would make merry together under the radiance of ithil and watch the stars as they made their way across the night sky. A gentle summer breeze blew across the valley, and the candle flames danced in its wake. The sweet echoes of evensong drifted up and above the rooftops as the elves of the Last Homely House prepared for nightfall.

Legolas drew his gaze from the beautiful valley to the tanned, rugged face of the young edain sitting before him. Estel was currently recounting some wild adventure they had had on the way back from the north, punctuated with selected anecdotes courtesy of the twins, who were only too glad to fill in the details their brother had decided to leave out.

“You should have seen his face, Legolas! When that wild boar charged out of the thicket it went straight at him. I’ve never seen Estel climb a tree so fast. You would’ve been proud, mellon!”

“Hey! As I recall, it was you, Elrohir, that spooked the poor beast with an ill-timed arrow!”

“All the same, it was you up that skinny little sapling, swaying from side to side. What possessed you to pick that tree of all the trees surrounding the clearing!”

“It was the nearest thing with low branches. I’d like to see you with a mad pig tusking at your heels! Besides, we ate very well that night, all thanks to my efforts.”

 “’Twas a bit gamey for my tastes actually.” 

That earned Elrohir a hunk of bread thrown skillfully in his direction. Ducking the projectile just as expertly, he already had both hands on the bowl of grapes when Lord Elrond made his displeasure known with merely one raised eyebrow. Both delinquents duly chastised, they returned their hands to their own plates with grins that spoke “we’ll settle this later.”

Some things never change, Legolas smiled. Meals at Elrond’s table were never uneventful with his sons around.

“Legolas, did we tell you that we stopped at the old inn at Bree?” grinned Elladan with a wicked gleam in his silver eyes.

At that, Estel fell back into his chair with a groan and dramatically brought one hand up to his forehead.

“Oh! Mandos take me now!”

Unfazed, Elladan launched into the account.

“You see, there was this pretty tavern maid whom our young friend took a fancy to…”

“It was the other way around, how many times must I say it?”

“It is a better story this way, gwador nin, now let me finish.”

Rolling his eyes at his twin tormentors, Estel turned to Legolas.

“Pay them no heed, Legolas. Much wind pours from their mouths, you know this!”

“Still, penneth, she was declaring her undying love for you by the next morning. One shouldn’t make a habit of breaking hearts at every village, town and city you enter. Spare their poor men folk a thought. ‘Tis bad form, bad form indeed!”

“Now isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black, my dear Elladan!” chortled Legolas.

“Quite possibly, Tithen Las,” rejoined Elladan.

“Scoundrel!”

The night passed pleasantly indeed. It felt good to be back amongst friends. Legolas relished the easygoing camaraderie amongst the three brothers, delighting in the new dynamic that a grown Estel brought to the relationship. Yet, Legolas could not help but think of the chubby toddler, the endearing child who had sat upon his knee and the eager student who had tried his hardest to please his bow-master. The awkward youth who had saddened with every time he had been told he was too young to join his elders was now an accomplished Ranger of the North. For all their good-natured ribbing, the twins doted on Estel like the elder brothers that they were and alongside the teasing, had impressed upon Legolas the remarkable prowess their little brother had with the broadsword and his bravery in battle. Even reading about it in Estel’s letters could not have prepared him for this extraordinary change in his young friend. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, little Estel was now Aragorn, leader of the Dunedain, expert swordsman and, oh my, ladies’ man! The last brought a chuckle to his heart of hearts, yet it only reminded him further that Estel had grown up, and grown up so very, very quickly.

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The next morning, Lord Elrond rose before dawn as was his wont and made his way noiselessly to his children’s rooms. No matter how old they grew or how accomplished, his father’s instincts needed the reassurance of seeing them with his own eyes to truly believe they were safe and sound. It always brought him a measure of simple joy to see them all home, resting peacefully in their beds. So for nights and early mornings uncounted, he had knelt by those bedsides, tucked in blankets around his most precious treasures and offered up prayers of thanks to the Valar for bringing his children home to him once more.

The twins were, as usual, sprawled over their beds, arms and legs in wild disarray. Once, he might have tried to rearrange the mess of limbs and bedclothes but long experience had showed it to be a futile endeavour. He smiled down upon his sleeping sons and satisfied with the sounds of steady breathing and contented faces in repose, he gently closed the door to their shared room.

Estel’s rooms showed all the signs of recent inhabitation. Clothes were strewn on chairs and all over the nightstand; books and maps lay open on the table. There in the corner stood Estel’s plain, unadorned ranger bow and quiver and an assortment of knives and swords. A small collection of precious childhood relics still adorned the mantelpiece. A more elaborately decorated bow hung from a stand on the far wall. It had been a gift from Legolas for attaining sixteen summers. How that seemed like only yesterday to him, yet how much the boy had grown since then.

No, Estel was a boy no longer. Such was the fleeting, ephemeral nature of childhood and so quickly do those precious moments pass by like the first blossoms in ethuil.

Lord Elrond moved to the bedroom but found the bed empty and the sheets not slept in. For just a moment, he felt a twinge of dread but knowing his son better than that, he made his way a few doors down the corridor and silently entered the suite reserved especially for Legolas when the prince visited Imladris.

True enough, the two friends lay asleep on Legolas’ bed, facing each other, dark and golden hair mingled upon the pillows. One with silver eyes closed in the manner of Men, the other with sapphire eyes glazed over in the sleep of Elfkind. The remains of a late night kitchen raid were still evident on the side table.

The first rays of dawn shone in through the large windows, and Elrond felt his heart stir with feeling for his mortal son and one he loved just as much. Here too, was one who had grown up too fast, robbed of true childhood by the ever-lengthening shadow that they all were touched by. So deeply did he mourn the precious loss of innocence with every life taken by their hands and every friend that those same hands buried. Laying a tender kiss on each smooth brow, he covered his two sleeping charges with a warm blanket and left as silently as he had come.

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A/N: Thank you kindly to all who reviewed… Joee1, IwishChan, Keshieshimmer, An Exquisite Elfling, Faith, and anyone else I’ve missed. It’s been awhile since I last posted a story. I hope this one does not disappoint. I’m not sure how many chapters this story will run to, but it’ll probably be longer than anything else I’ve written. I must apologise because I have a (painful!) 8-hour exam coming up in a few weeks, so I can’t say for sure when updates will be posted.

I can say for certain that plot bunnies visit me only during exam time …grrrr…

I do know that there is another word for this and it is spelt =  PROCRASTINATION ;) Anyhow, hope you enjoy the story and do send feedback if you are so inclined.

=)